Ex-Rangers goalie carries torch for Canadiens before Game 4 of ECF
Jaroslav Halak, who finished his 17-year NHL career with the New York Rangers in 2022-23, was back at Bell Centre, his first NHL home, on Wednesday night.
Halak carried the ceremonial torch as he walked into the arena’s lower bowl before the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He also carried a stop sign with “DOBES” written on it in recognition of Canadiens rookie goalie Jakub Dobes – and a flashback to his own heroics in the spring of 2010.
Much of the sellout crowd of 20,962 didn’t recognize the 41-year-old Slovak until the camera flipped to the name on the back of his Canadiens sweater. He then raised the torch to the crowd as flames shot into the air.
Halak joined Canadiens alumni Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Chris Nilan, Kirk Muller, Guy Carbonneau, Larry Robinson and Claude Lemieux as torchbearers so far this postseason. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the pregame ceremony didn’t help – they lost 4-0 and now trail the Hurricanes 3-1 in the best-of-7 series.
Although Halak was the first torch bearer who did not win a Stanley Cup with Montreal, he did lead the Canadiens to a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Final in 2010. That spring Halak’s heroics helped eighth-seeded Montreal upset the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Halak stopped 131 of 134 shots he faced in the final three games against the top-seeded Capitals, enabling the Canadiens to win the series after falling behind 3-1. He won another Game 7 in the second round when the Canadiens defeated the Penguins 5-2 in Pittsburgh.
Ex-Rangers goalie Jaroslav Halak carries torch for Canadiens before Game 4 of ECF
However, soon after losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games, the Canadiens opted to stick with Carey Price as their starting goaltender and traded Halak to the St. Louis Blues on June 17, 2010. He helped the Blues win the William Jennings Trophy (goalies on team allowing fewest goals) in 2011-12.
Halak set a New York Islanders single-season record with 38 wins in 2014-15, his first of four seasons on Long Island, then was Tuukka Rask’s backup when the Boston Bruins went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. The duo teamed to win the Jennings Trophy the following season.
After a third season in Boston, Halak played with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021-22 before signing a one-year contract with the Rangers on July 13, 2022.
Signing Halak meant the Rangers didn’t have to face him — he was 24-9-1 against them in his career and won 11 of 14 decisions when he played for the Islanders.
He was 10-9-5 with a 2.72 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and one shutout in 2022-23, serving as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.
Halak finished his NHL career with a 295-189-69 record, 2.50 GAA, .915 save percentage, and 53 shutouts in 581 regular-season games (555 starts). He was 17-20 in 39 playoff games (37 starts) with a 2.48 GAA and .919 save percentage.
His last victory came on March 25, 2023, when he made 31 saves to help the Rangers defeat the Florida Panthers 4-3. It came six days after his final shutout, a 7-0 win against the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden.
But the Rangers opted to sign Jonathan Quick to be Shesterkin’s backup in the summer of 2023 and Halak was left without a job. He officially retired in July 2025, lamenting that he came up five wins short of 300.
“It’s been two years and I’ve come to terms with not reaching 300,” Halak told Dennik Sport in a story translated from his native Slovak. “Looking back on my career, it’s been a good one. It would have been nicer with 300 wins, but I’ll be happy with 295.”
